Lesson 2: How successful was the Great Leap Forward (Second Five-Year Plan), 1958-62? Flashcards
What happens as a result of decentralisation?
Economy controlled less by the government,.
Greater ability for local leaders to set targets.
What is decentralisation?
The transfer of part of the powers of the central government to regional or local authorities
What is General Steel?
Turning China into a successful modern economy.
What is a backyard furnace?
Primitive smelting device that every family was encouraged to build on its premises.
What is General Grain?
Increasing China’s food supplies so they could become self-sufficient.
Through what was General Grain achieved?
Collectivisation.
What does the term ‘state owned enterprises’ mean?
Bringing businesses under total government control.
What is mass effort?
Modernising the economy using the effort of the Chinese people.
What were construction projects?
Using the masses to industrialise and rebuild China
What was the main aim of the GLF?
Turn the PRC into a modern, industrial country in the shortest time possible.
Between what years was the GLF?
1958-62
What is the Second Five-Year Plan also known as?
Great Leap Forward
Before launching the GLF, what did Mao believe about China?
It was now strong enough to end its economic ties to Russia.
Who was the Second FYP planned by?
The CCP itself.
What did Mao believe the dedicated efforts of the Chinese people could, simply, do?
Help China surpass the major nations
What were the key categories of reasons for why Mao launched the GLF?
Political
Ideological
Economic
Personal
What were the political reasons for Mao’s launch of the GLF?
Differences in the party about how best to reward good food production amongst peasant.
Gave more freedom to local party officials through decentralisation.
What were the ideological reasons for Mao’s launch of the GLF?
Wished to take China towards Communism on the ‘ Chinese road’.
Relied on mass mobilisation-fitted with Mao’s thinking.
Mao was carrying out a purge known as the ‘anti-rightist campaign’ at this stage and local party cadres were eager to prove their loyalty to Mao.
What were the economic reasons for Mao’s launch of the GLF?
Commitment of the GLF to develop industry and agriculture while also mobilising peasantry for construction.
Industrialisation of nation depended on agriculture becoming more efficient.
What were the personal reasons for Mao’s launch of the GLF?
Mao had returned from Moscow and wished to show the Soviet Union that China could work independently from them.
Mao’s confidence at this point was at a high.
Before the launching the GLF, why was Mao’s confidence at a high?
Had achieved collectivisation of the peasants quicker than expected.
Had been enthusiastic on a tour of China’s regions in 1958
What was 1 suggestion, in the party, of how to best reward good food production amongst the peasants?
Chen Yun suggested ‘carrot’ approach.
Give good producers consumer goods or good prices for their food.
What did the General Steel campaign involve?
Backyard furnaces.
Main aim of the GLF.
To modernise China and make them wholly self sufficient and competing with other Western superpowers.
To make China one of the richest, most advanced and powerful countries in the world.
What was the main idea behind the General Steel campaign?
China’s industry would ‘leap forward by creating as much steel as possible.’
When was the GLF announced?
At the Eight CCP Congress in May 1958
What did the GLF aim to turn the PRC into?
A modern, industrial state in the shortest time possible.
How would the PRC build an economy that would catch up with the major nations with the GLF?
Would revolutionise China’s agriculture and industry.
Who would the GLF be dependant on?
Peasants and agriculture of the workers
What would make sure China would be able to pass the major nations?
The dedicated efforts of the Chinese people led by their inspired Communist government.
[QUOTE] What did Mao say in Moscow in 1957 about the intentions and targets of the GLF?
“The East win will prevail over the West win, because we are powerful and strong. You just cannot decide things with the quantity of steel and iron; rather first and foremost, things are determined by people’s hearts and minds.”
Who did China admire for what it had achieved economically?
USSR
Mao was determined to match the USSR’s economic achievement but without what?
Their slavish methods
What did Mao feel the PRC was strong enough to do in 1957?
Begin to end their earlier economic dependence on the USSR
Why was a decentralised economy introduced despite the central government still remaining very much in control?
Done to give more freedom to the masses to harness the power of the Chinese people.
Mao believed if state bureaucrats had control they could slow the pace of the revolution.
What did Mao wish to achieve by planning for China to lift off using China’s mass population?
- The collectivised peasants, working in their communes, would produce surplus of food that would be sold abroad to raise money for the expansion of Chinese industry.
- The workers would create, literally with their own hand, a modern industrial economy, powerful enough to compete with the Soviet Union and the Capitalist West.
What was there an emphasis on during the GLF?
Heavy industry and large projects.
What was Mao convinced could solve all the problems of industrial development?
The manpower of China
Why were mechanical diggers shunned?
Suggested the Earth was being moved too much by the hands of the workers.
Give examples of large projects which were constructed during the GLF.
Giant span bridges
Canals
Dams
What was it common to see across China during the GLF?
Men, women and children dressed in identical blue uniforms.
